British Superbike Race Two Results From Knockhill

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The start of a British Superbike race at Knockhill in 2016. Photo courtesy of MotorSport Vision Racing.

Dixon propels himself into the MCE BSB premier league with Knockhill victories

Jake Dixon propelled himself into the premier league of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Knockhill today (Sunday) as the RAF Reserves Kawasaki rider followed up his debut win in the opening race to make it a double after an epic second contest in Scotland.

Dixon got his day off to a flying start in the opening race, celebrating a classy debut win in race one as the RAF Reserves Kawasaki rider hit the front of the chasing pack and held off Luke Mossey to seal an emotional victory.

On the opening lap Dixon fired off the front row of the grid to lead the pack as Shane 'Shakey' Byrne and Jason O'Halloran clipped on the run into turn one for the first time, pushing them down the order.

At the front James Ellison was tucked in behind Dixon with Mossey in close contention, but O’Halloran had made back some places and he was soon on the attack and by the start of lap four, the pair had pushed Ellison back to fourth.

Ellison fought back a lap later at the Hairpin to pass O’Halloran, but on lap six the McAMS Yamaha rider slid out of contention at turn three. O’Halloran was soon coming under pressure from his Honda Racing team-mate Dan Linfoot; the Australian was pushed back a place at the Hairpin, but on the brakes Linfoot lost the front end and tipped out of contention.

The leading pair of Dixon and Mossey had edged an advantage but the battle for third then became a three-way fight between O’Halloran, Byrne and home hero Taylor Mackenzie who was having his strongest performance of the season for Bennetts Suzuki.

Byrne was pushing to make a move and on lap 16 the Be Wiser Ducati rider emerged ahead after a decisive move at the Hairpin. The defending champion was able to hold off O’Halloran to the chequered flag to cross the line third behind Dixon and Mossey.

Josh Brookes had been pushing to bag the points for the Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha team, but the Australian was another rider to crash out at the Hairpin unhurt.

Mackenzie scored his best result in fifth place with Peter Hickman moving to sixth for Smiths Racing BMW after Bradley Ray crashed put unhurt on the Buildbase Suzuki. John Hopkins ended the race in seventh place for Moto Rapido Ducati with Sylvain Guintoli, Lee Jackson and Michael Laverty completing the top ten.

Dixon then further cemented himself as a Showdown contender by following up his debut win in the opening race to make it a double after an epic second contest in Scotland.

Dixon had hit the front of the field on the opening lap to stake his claim from the start, holding off Mossey and Ellison with Linfoot and Byrne in the hunt. The opening laps saw an incredible dice between the leading group with Mossey and Ellison exchanging blows five times in one lap as they battled for the advantage at the front.

As the lead continued to change Dixon then made his move and he was defending hard until the seventh lap when Mossey then reclaimed the position at the front of the field. As the RAF Reserves Kawasaki rider bid to make a counter attack, Ellison then fired his McAMS Yamaha into second place with Byrne stalking in fourth.

Byrne and Dixon were then inseparable and the defending champion made a move to put himself back into a podium position and relegate the race one winner into fourth place. At the front Mossey had edged a marginal lead but the JG Speedfit Kawasaki lost the ground with a mistake and it allowed his rivals to return to striking distance.

Ellison was first to take the advantage as the McAMS Yamaha hit the front to push Mossey back to second as Dixon moved to third to push Byrne back into fourth as the final five lap sprint beckoned.

Dixon then made a decisive move on Mossey to push the new championship leader back into third and into the clutches of Byrne, who waited until the final two laps to make his move and return to the podium for the second time today.

Dixon stalked Ellison and a last gasp attempt to make a move for the win put the young gun ahead which he held to the chequered flag to claim his second win ahead of Ellison and Byrne. Mossey narrowly missed out on the podium with Brookes returning to the top five for the Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha team.

Linfoot was the leading Honda Racing contender in sixth place, just ahead of his team-mate O'Halloran with Michael Laverty, Hickman and Billy McConnell completing the top ten.

“I’ve never had a podium in the Superbike class before this weekend so to leave with two race wins has left me a bit speechless to be honest, I can’t believe it!

Qualifying well is one thing but to do it in a race is a totally different ball game even if I did feel confident that I had the pace. It was hard leading from the front in the first race but the gap kept going up and it was almost like I was floating out there so I just tried to keep as focused and as calm as possible. I had a bit of a slide at the hairpin towards the end so backed it off a bit and brought the bike home for a dream win.

“We didn’t change a single thing on the bike for race two and I knew what pace I had so when I could see some of the riders sliding around, I knew I was in a good position as my bike was on rails and not using nowhere near the same amount of rubber. I let the race come to me and made my moves in the last third of the race but having taken the double, it’s hard to describe how I’m feeling right now. It’ll take a while to sink in but a massive thank you to the whole team and the sponsors and to all my family.”

More, from a press release issued by Tyco BMW:

MIXED FORTUNES FOR TYCO BMW AT KNOCKHILL

Tyco BMW returned to action at the fourth round of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Knockhill this weekend, with Josh Elliot flying the flag with a strong return to the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 grid.

Christian Iddon was the sole Tyco BMW in the Superbike class, but a high-speed crash during the opening free practice session left him with a large arm wound that required treatment.

Elliot returned with the team in place of Ian Hutchinson who is currently recovering from injury. A consistent performance in qualifying put him 4th on the grid which he followed up with a mature ride to finish P5 on his return ahead of today's second race.

Philip Neill – Team Manager:

"We are very grateful to Josh for accepting the invite to ride the Tyco BMW this weekend after a long time off a bike. With everything considered he has already exceeded our expectations and proven his ability and the competitiveness of the S1000RR. We remain realistic for today's race however at the same time we can afford to be optimistic given the performance yesterday.

Christian underwent a small procedure yesterday to clean up the wound and although he was determined to compete in today's Superbike races, due to nature of the injury he required a general anaesthetic which dictates a 48hr race ban"

More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:

Double Podium For Byrne At Knockhill

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and the Penrith-based Be Wiser Ducati team maintained their challenge for the 2017 MCE British Superbike Championship this afternoon with the five times and defending champion taking a pair of third place finishes in round four held at Knockhill this weekend.

Having qualified in fourth place for the first 30-lap race around the 1.26-mile Fife track, the team worked hard overnight and with changes to the factory-backed Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R, the Londoner topped the timesheets in morning warm up having lapped three tenths of a second quicker than he had done in qualifying.

Despite that, Byrne didn’t get a great start in the opening race and after a physical first lap, he found himself back in eighth at the completion of it. He regrouped over the next few laps and by lap seven he was up into fourth before moving up to third at half race distance. Despite being under constant pressure, Shakey held on to take a good podium finish and, equally important, another podium credit.

The Sittingbourne rider started the second encounter from fifth place on the grid and with a better start held onto that position in the early stages before moving up to third as the race progressed. Byrne dropped to fourth in the latter stages but with a concerted effort made it up to third at the chequered flag to claim his second podium of the weekend.

The result moved Shakey up to third in the title race going into round five at Snetterton in two weeks’ time whereby team-mate Glenn Irwin, who was injured during practice on Friday and ruled out of the weekend with a dislocated arm and shoulder, hopes to be back in action on the Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R to kick start his title bid.

Shane Byrne: "We came here looking for two strong results and whilst we've all worked incredibly hard as a team to get the results we've got, it hasn't been the greatest of weekends. We changed the bike massively for race one and at the end of the day, we've salvaged two podiums so it certainly hasn't been the worst case scenario either. We've got some good circuits coming up with Snetterton, the Brands GP circuit and Thruxton, ones I really like and should suit the bike, so I'm looking forward to getting to those now."

Phil Borley, Technical Director: “Having won here last year, it’s obviously disappointing not to have won again but we didn’t quite have the pace today. We made numerous changes to the bike between qualifying and the races which helped but the set-up still wasn’t quite what Shakey needed it to be. Points in the championship and the podium credits are important and Shakey now has himself firmly back in the top six, which is obviously where we need to be. We have circuits coming up that should suit both Shakey and the bike whilst having Glenn back and challenging will be another boost to the team.”

More, from a press release issued by Jake Dixon's publicist:

Dixon takes stunning BSB double for RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki

Jake Dixon and the RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki team were back in action at the weekend with round four of the 2017 MCE British Superbike Championship taking place at Knockhill in Scotland. And it proved to be a brilliant weekend for the team as Dixon took an emphatic double victory, his first in the class and the team’s first since Cadwell Park in August 2014.

The meeting marked the one year anniversary of Dixon making his debut in the Superbike class and despite a heavy spill on Friday, when he was one of three riders to crash on oil, the 21-year old was in sparkling form on Saturday and converted his pace into a superb second place in qualifying and a maiden front row position for Sunday’s opening race.

With a superb start, the Ashby resident grabbed the lead from pole position man Luke Mossey going into the first corner and from that moment on, he rode an imperious race. Controlling proceedings from the front, Dixon was never headed and was never seriously under pressure as he dominated the race to eventually take his first ever victory in the class by almost four seconds from Mossey.

Starting the second race from second place once more, Jake grabbed the lead off the line again only this time he was under a lot more pressure with Mossey pushing him back to second on lap eight. Two laps later this had become fourth but it remained close at the front and Jake remained in contention. Indeed, as the race entered its final third, he started to move forward again and with just three laps to go, he was back in the lead as he swept to his second brilliant race win.

Team-mate Jordan Weaving was also in action on the Briggs Equipment Kawasaki ZX-10R where he qualified in 19th for the first of the two races with a lap of 50.420s. However, he continually moved forward during the 18-lap race and with some good overtaking manoeuvres he took a solid 12th place at the chequered flag.

Some strong lap times meant he started Sunday’s second encounter from the much better position of 11th and the fourth row. A slightly sluggish start though saw him drop out of the top fifteen and it took him until lap fifteen until he was back inside the points. Once there, he kept moving forward and was holding onto 12th with just four laps to go when he unfortunately crashed out uninjured at the hairpin.

Jake Dixon: “I’ve never had a podium in the Superbike class before this weekend so to leave with two race wins has left me a bit speechless to be honest, I can’t believe it! Qualifying well is one thing but to do it in a race is a totally different ball game even if I did feel confident that I had the pace. It was hard leading from the front in the first race but the gap kept going up and it was almost like I was floating out there so I just tried to keep as focused and as calm as possible. I had a bit of a slide at the hairpin towards the end so backed it off a bit and brought the bike home for a dream win.”

“We didn’t change a single thing on the bike for race two and I knew what pace I had so when I could see some of the riders sliding around, I knew I was in a good position as my bike was on rails and not using nowhere near the same amount of rubber. I let the race come to me and made my moves in the last third of the race but having taken the double, it’s hard to describe how I’m feeling right now. It’ll take a while to sink in but a massive thank you to the whole team and the sponsors and to all my family.”

Lee Hardy, Team Owner: “What a day! It was great when Peter (Hickman) won for us in 2014 but to do the double in such a way is simply superb and I’m simply over the moon. Jake had shown his pace in practice and qualifying but we had a chat before the first race and whilst we knew it would be hard, we also felt that if Jake rode his own race and did his own thing, he wouldn’t be far away. He made a superb start and was lapping really consistently so although the gap was increasing all the time, it was happening because he felt so comfortable.”

“It was a win that belied his 21 years of age so to then go out and do it again in race two was simply superb. The race panned out in a slightly different manner but he again made a fantastic start and didn’t panic when the other riders came by him. He dropped back to fourth and the bike didn’t quite look as settled as what it had done earlier in the day for some reason but, again, he rode his own race and let it come to him. He was strong at the end when it mattered and had preserved his tyres well so with a double victory it really has been a dream weekend."

The next round takes place in two weeks time at the team’s local circuit, Snetterton, on June 30-July 2.

More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing:

Strong Weekend At Knockhill For Smiths BMW

Fresh from their highly successful Isle of Man TT campaign, Gloucester-based Smiths Racing were back in short circuit action this weekend with round four of the MCE British Superbike Championship taking place at Knockhill where both Peter Hickman and Lee Jackson enjoyed a strong showing with both scoring strong points.

Hickman was on the pace throughout free practice so was disappointed to have only qualified in 12th place but upped the pace in warm up to put him in confident mood for the first 30-lap encounter today. Completing the first lap in 12th place, he moved steadily forward and by half race distance was up to sixth which he held until the chequered flag.

Starting the second race from ninth on the grid, the Louth-based rider didn’t make the best of starts for the former double British Supersport champions and despite a concerted effort, the 30 year old had to settle for ninth at the chequered flag, to leave him in seventh in the title race.

Team-mate Jackson qualified in 16th place for the opening race, and he too made good progress, moving into the points on lap seven when he took over 14th place. By half race distance, he was up to tenth and in close company with former World Superbike Champion Sylvain Guintoli before moving up to ninth which gave him his best result of the season so far.

The Lincoln rider lined up on the fifth row later in the day for race two which proved to be a tougher proposition and after a great performance, he ended up in 13th at the flag to pick up three more championship points.

Peter Hickman: “It’s been a bit of a tough weekend to be honest and having been strong all weekend, it all went a bit awry in qualifying when the oil that had been laid on the track messed my head up. I just couldn’t ride the way I wanted and that made both races difficult as being so far back on the grid at a short circuit like Knockhill is near impossible to come back from. It’s not easy to overtake but I kept chipping away and whilst sixth and ninth isn’t where I want to be finishing, I’m only four points adrift of the top six so we’ll keep fighting hard and look to come out fighting next time out.”

Lee Jackson: “We’ve continued to make good improvements to the bike and I’m feeling more and more comfortable on the bike so it’s good to have come away with my best finish of the season so far. A few people crashed out in race one but getting to the finish is the name of the game and it just felt good to be racing again after six weeks since the last round. I got boxed in a bit in the second race and it’s frustrating not being able to finish in the top ten more regularly as that’s where I need to be. We’re all working really hard and will look to carry this weekend’s momentum into the next rounds.”

Alan Smith, Team Owner: “After being away at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT, it’s good to get back to short circuit action and both riders had solid weekends. Peter’s obviously a bit disappointed with his results having arrived at Knockhill on such a high but he scored some solid points and is well in contention for a top six finish which is what our aim is. Lee’s crash on Friday set him back a little but he’s getting his confidence back with each and every outing and it was good to see both bikes finish in the top ten of race one.”

More, from a press release issued by Bennetts Suzuki:

Mackenzie fifth for Bennetts Suzuki at Knockhill

Taylor Mackenzie marked the return of the MCE British Superbike championship after a seven week break with a fifth placed finish at Knockhill, onboard his Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Mackenzie started the weekend with his best ever qualifying the Superbike class, starting the opening race from the third row of the grid. After the lights went out he picked his way forward until he was in the battle for the podium, and despite dropping back in the closing stages, he took a career-best finish of fifth.

In race two Mackenzie was again racing well inside the top-10, but eventually crossed the line in 11th place, after struggling with physical fitness after his surgery.

Taylor Mackenzie, "I would have taken fifth all day to be honest, but we were in that battle for the podium. There were areas I was making up time, but I missed a gear coming out of the hairpin and they just broke the tow. I didn't want to push and risk a crash, so I settled for that fifth. It's more than we could have asked for and shows how far we've come on. In race two, after four or five laps, it was just survival really. I haven't ridden in so long and after the surgery I couldn't do any strength training, and I was just really struggling. Not with arm-pump, just strength. But I'm going away happy - we've made lots of changes and the bike's better, I'm better. I'll try and get out and get some laps in before Snetterton, just time on the bike. I saw this as the start of my season and it's a good place to be starting from."

Sylvain Guintoli was racing at Knockhill for the first time in his career this weekend, and also started from the third row of the grid. He took an eight placed finish in race one, but was prevented from improving on that performance in race two after being forced wide and off track at turn one on the opening lap.

He rejoined dead last, but picked his way through the field to take two championship points in 14th.

Sylvain Guintoli, "We didn't get the results we wanted this weekend but we're definitely looking at all of the positives. Our pace was good in qualifying and it was our best of the season. We still have areas to improve, and we struggled with rear grip in the first race. Our pace was actually good in the second race but I got forced off the track and it made it hard to make up the time, as our pace was similar to the top-10. It was hard to bridge the gap. We'll keep working for Snetterton; it's another new track for me on a bike, although I did race there and finish on the podium in a car race in a Suzuki-engined Radical SR3, so I know the layout, and hopefully I will get up to speed quickly on the GSX-R."

Richard Cooper finished on the podium in the second Superstock 1000 race, his third place finish helping put the disappointment of a retirement in race one behind him, when a loose bolt came loose and caused the bike to become stuck in sixth gear.

Cooper started strongly in race one before a mistake on lap one dropped him back down the order. He recovered to fourth place and was in the fight for the podium before retiring three laps from the end. In the second race he kept his championship challenge on track, taking third at the chequered flag.

Richard Cooper, "It was disappointing not to finish the first race. We didn't qualify brilliantly but I made a good start, but then I made a mistake into the hairpin on the opening lap and that cost me a lot of time and a lot of places. I was back in the battle for the podium but three laps to go I couldn't get out of sixth. It was a silly little problem really, but we found it, fixed it, and got out again and had a good race in race two. We didn't quite have the pace for the win, but it's another podium and we're still in the championship hunt."

Steve Hicken, team manager, "It's definitely been a better weekend for us. We've got the bike in a much better place, and a lot of that is down the Michael [Dunlop] and the TT; a lot of the settings we worked on with him we started with this weekend. It's been a brilliant weekend for Taylor, with a best ever qualifying and best ever result. To be passing people like Shakey [Shane Byrne] and Josh Brookes like he did, on the brakes, looking completely in control, shows how far the bike's come and how he's developing as a rider. In race two he just struggled with fatigue with his arms - not arm-pump, but it took it out of him. But with more time on the bike that'll sort, and his confidence will be high now and hopefully we can carry that forward.

"With Sylvain, we honestly thought we were going to be fighting for the podium today, given his pace in qualifying and his long runs in practice, especially when you consider he was still learning the circuit. He just struggled with grip to match the group in front for pace in race one, potentially down to the change in track temperature. And race two was lost on the opening lap when he was forced off circuit. But we'll look at the positives and look at the pace he had, and continue to work with him and the bike to keep improving.

"It was a shame to have to retire with Cooper in the first Superstock race, we didn't quite have the pace to run at the very front this weekend but we were still on for a podium. We got it in race two, coming back fighting. We'll take this weekend on the chin and move on from here."